


It's Not A Galra Thing

by Idhren15



Series: Idhren's Voltron Oneshots [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Coming Out, Aro-Aces Are Awesome And Valid, Aromantic, Aromantic Asexual Keith (Voltron), Art, Asexual Keith (Voltron), Asexuality, Coming Out, Drinking, Drunk Lance (Voltron), Gen, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron)-centric, Lance is a little insensitive, Oneshot, Party, Pidge understands (kind of), Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Space Ace, Underage Drinking, fic contains art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 14:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18692974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idhren15/pseuds/Idhren15
Summary: Parties meant stress and noise and various social cues that he simply didn't understand.Especially when those social cues involved the dreaded f word.Flirting.Aro-Ace Keith oneshot :) set during season 2, after the Trials of Marmora.





	It's Not A Galra Thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [justheretobreakthings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/justheretobreakthings/gifts).



> Ace!Keith is a headcanon I treasure and will take to the grave XD Buuuut I thought I'd explore _Aro_ -Ace Keith so... here you go!
> 
> Shoutout to all aces/aros, wherever you sit on the spectrum, you're all amazing and valid ^-^
> 
> Enjoy :)

"Paladins! We have been invited to a party on Baghie, to celebrate their freedom from the Galra, and I would like you all to attend," Allura announced.

Everyone cheered except Keith: an observation that he was a little disappointed in. He'd hoped that Hunk or Pidge or maybe even Shiro would express distaste for this party, too, but all three of them were grinning with varying levels of excitement. Okay, he understood a little. They'd been going almost non-stop for the past few- weeks, movements, whatever the term was- and the whole team wanted a rest.

A party, though? That _really_ wasn't rest.

At least, not for him.

Parties meant stress and noise and various social cues that he simply didn't understand.

Especially when those social cues involved the dreaded f word.

_Flirting._

 

As the other paladins happily rushed off the bridge, Keith lingered back, waiting to talk to Allura. She still was a little cold with him, since the revelation of his galran heritage, but for once he actually wanted to see that side of her.

"Princess, don't you think it might be better for me to not attend?" he asked.

Allura frowned. "It's not for fun, Keith. Voltron needs to be represented."

"I know, but the Baghiens really don't like the galra. And I'm...well..." he gestured awkwardly to himself, hoping she'd just tell him to stay behind on the castle.

"Well," Allura said with a little sniff, "You don't visibly look galra..."

No. No, he was not going to this stupid party. "Allura. I don't want to go," he stated, folding his arms and trying a different approach. The princess' eyes narrowed.

"Keith, you need to be there. You're a paladin of Voltron. You should go with your team."

He shook his head. "I'm not feeling well, anyway. I don't think I should go."

He wasn't going to let Allura make him go.

 

Allura made him go.

Keith sighed and fiddled with the cuffs of the awkward altean tunic he'd been forced to wear. It was alright, he supposed, being primarily red and white with a little gold on the cuffs and fastenings.

The party, however, was _not_ alright.

Was he stressed? Yes. Were the noise levels almost unbearable? Also yes. Had someone tried to make awkward conversation with him yet? Thankfully, no.

Keith stood to one side, his hand always hovering near where his Marmoran knife was tucked into his jacket, just in case. Allura had said no weapons, but he wasn't going to listen to that order.

"Are you the red paladin?"

He barely suppressed a groan at the Baghien female now standing in front of him. Like the rest of her race, she was relatively humanoid, just with large, dog-like ears, deep red eyes, and grey-blue skin.

"Yes," he sighed, almost feeling Allura's glare from the other side of the room.

"I heard a rumour," she whispered, slinking into his personal space, "that the red paladin is part Galra. Tell me, is that true?" One clawed hand moved as if to rest on his chest, and nope nope nope, he was out of there.

"Ah sorry I have to, uh, Hunk is, go, bye," he stammered, backing away and bolting towards the yellow paladin. But, unfortunately, he bumped into someone on the way, knocking the drink in their hand.

"Watch it!" Lance hissed, some of the syllables blending together.

"Sorry."

"No, you're not sorry, you're never sorry, stupid Mullet. Say, why did you let such a hot chick go, hmm?" Lance asked.

Keith frowned. "It's quite cool in here."

"No, no, no, silly. That girl." Lance pointed to the Baghien, "She is hot, man. Smoking. Go after her." He nudged Keith a little hard, but the red paladin didn't budge.

"No?"

Lance tilted his head. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to?" Keith offered.

"Fine, fine," Lance grumbled and Keith sighed, hoping he'd go, but he had no such luck. "She's hot, but whatever. Let's find you another." Lance slung an arm over Keith's shoulder and forced him towards a group of females, all giggling together.

"Now see, lots of options. The one in the red dress is real fit but the violet-haired one is probably more your type, she looks pretty emo so you can be emo together," Lance babbled- no, _slurred,_ Keith realised, smelling the alcohol on his friend's breath. _Crap, Lance is drunk._

"Lance, no. I'm not _interested._ " Keith tried to push the blue paladin's arm away, but he was surprisingly heavy.

Or maybe Keith was tired from the lack of sleep and increased hours of training, both spurred on by his galran heritage and the fact that he needed to prove himself, needed to work harder so they wouldn't kick him off the team.

Yes, that was it. Lance wasn't heavy; he was just too tired to force his aching muscles to respond with their usual strength.

Lance continued slurring nonsense, all the while drawing them closer to the babble of girls, and Keith's breathing hitched.

He didn't want to go there. Making conversation was hard enough under normal circumstances, but he had nothing against talking to others, not really.

Not unless they had that _look_ in their eyes, the one that those girls possessed.

They'd taken note of him and Lance, staring at their faces and glancing over their bodies in a way that made Keith uncomfortable.

_I can't do this._

"Lance, for the last time, I'm not interested!" Keith growled, finally finding the strength to push Lance away. The blue paladin stumbled: from the drink or the force of the push, Keith couldn't tell.

"Oh. Girls really not your thing?" Lance asked, his expression softening slightly.

Keith sighed. "Yeah," he admitted. Lance's eyes brightened.

"Ooh I get it, you swing the other way. That's cool, man. That's cool." Before Keith could correct him, Lance had turned, almost falling over. "Pidge! Get here you little gremlin!" he yelled.

Keith suddenly caught sight of the green paladin, laughing and giggling with a cyborg, before her face darkened into the Pidge he was more familiar with and she stalked over to Lance.

"I'm not a gremlin," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Eh," Lance shrugged, "Which boys here are hot? We gotta set Keith up-"

"Keith's gay?" Pidge exclaimed, "I thought-"

"NO!" Keith yelled, startling them both, "Don't! I don't want to be set up, okay? I'm not interested in _anyone._ "

"No-one here? Okay," Lance sighed.

"No. No-one _at all_ ," Keith tried to explain.

The other two paladins exchanged a confused look. "No-one?" Lance echoed, "That... That's not normal, dude."

Pidge just frowned.

Keith ran a hand through his hair. "I know, but I just don't feel it, okay?"

Lance nodded slowly, and Keith hoped he'd leave it be, but alas, that wasn't the case.

"Is it a Galra thing?" the blue paladin blurted out.

Keith's fists clenched. "No," he hissed, "It's not a damn Galra thing. I'm aro-ace, you dumbass."

Heart pounding in his ears, Keith spun on his heel and stormed off, almost colliding with a slightly-drunk Shiro in the process.

"Keith! Where are you going?" Allura called out.

"Back to the castle. I'm done with this crap," he responded, not slowing down or even bothering to look at her, fists clenching tighter as if they could counteract the pain in his chest.

He'd come to terms with being aro-ace. It was Shiro who'd helped him realise his sexuality, and he'd been so glad to put a name to it.

But sometimes, he couldn't help but still feel broken, still feel that there was something _wrong_ with him, still feel that he just...wasn't normal.

Those feelings had been amplified by the discovery of his galran heritage, and now this...

It was too much.

Keith hated how they made him feel, hated that he was still hurt by the comments: _that's not normal...is it a Galra thing?..._

He was secure in being an aro-ace... But then again, he'd been secure as a slightly odd human until he realised otherwise.

His thoughts slowed as he reached the castle, landed not too far from the party's location, and entered it, immediately making a beeline for the training room, despite the exhaustion clamping his muscles.

He made it through two rounds before ending the simulation and falling asleep, right there amongst the gladiator's remains.

 

"Keith? Keith, wake up!"

Someone was shaking him, and he groaned, sleepily swatting them away.

"Oi! Keith!"

He opened his eyes to see Shiro, brow furrowed in concern.

"Are you okay buddy?" Shiro asked, his tone more gentle now.

Keith sat up, rubbing his eyes, prepared to say yes when the events of the previous night flooded back into his mind.

The party. The drunk paladins. _I'm aro-ace, you dumbass._

"Crap," Keith breathed, "Shiro, I told them, I accidentally outed myself..."

"Keith, it's okay," Shiro soothed, "They won't judge you for it."

"They already did," he pointed out.

Shiro sighed. "We were all a little drunk yesterday, Keith."

"I wasn't," the red paladin corrected.

Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, yes, you weren't. But people say silly things when they're drunk, Keith. And they want to apologise, okay? Hear them out."

"Okay," Keith grunted, if only to make Shiro shut up.

The black paladin grinned. "Good. Go freshen up, then meet us in the bridge, okay?"

Keith nodded, suddenly becoming aware that he was still in the fancy Altean robes, and quickly hurried to his room, hurrying much less with his shower.

The apology could wait a little.

 

Apparently, it couldn't actually wait. At all.

Keith was just slipping on a pair of jeans when a loud knock sounded on his door.

"Keith? Hey, it's us. Umm, Lance."

"And Pidge."

"Listen Keith, I'm sorry about last night... Can I- ow, Pidge, that hurt!"

"Can _we,_ not _I._ "

"Okay okay _we're_ sorry, can _we_ come in, please?"

Keith quickly zipped up his jeans and threw on a t-shirt before pressing the button to open the door. Lance and Pidge stood there, the latter with her hands behind her back.

"Keith, I'm sorry," Lance started again, "I was drunk and stupid and...that's not really a good excuse. I was insensitive, man. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Pidge piped up, "I mean, I knew what it was, and I should've said something. But I hope this can make it up to you!" She brought her hands forward and shoved a bundle of grey fabric into Keith's hands. He frowned but shook it out, unable to prevent the gasp escaping him.

It was a t-shirt. An _ace pilot_ t-shirt.

"Lance thought of the pun, we worked on it together," Pidge explained, "I can make you an aro one too, we didn't have enough time and we couldn't decide on the slogan-"

"Thank you," Keith whispered, smiling slightly, "I... Thanks, guys."

Lance grinned. "The Garrison weren't kidding when they said you're an ace pilot, were they?"

A small chuckle escaped Keith. "No," he said, "I guess they weren't."

 

**Author's Note:**

> Art above is mine! I couldn't resist drawing Keith in a t-shirt with that pun XD
> 
> Hope you liked this, especially you, @justheretobreakthings :) 
> 
> Thank you all for reading! Comments are always welcome, I love hearing from you guys ^-^


End file.
